He covered our house and a few others from across the country that are striving to be green. So, check it out~ it is wonderful to still be of interest even three years after we substantially completed it. (Don't ask what's still left to do!)... ** Blush **

Shelaine Sparrow from Living Ecology discovered this little bee hive (in the ground) while she was working in our yard! I was surprised to learn they actually nest underground! So, we've put some some pavers to protect this little hive of activity!

Shelaine is helping us this year get more done in our permaculture landscape. When you're overwhelmed, you need to call in professionals!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

This summer is the year we start landscape work! My friend Mike Johnson helped us plan and coordinate the front and side yards. He completed his Permaculture Design Course and wanted to get some practical experience. He told us how we can get the help of others wanting to assist with a permaculture "blitz," where volunteers come by and help out with the installation. And it was pretty good, even though the first blitz took place on Father's Day weekend.

So, we had a good group on Saturday: Shelaine, Janet, Kathie, Sharla, Chris & Dennis helped us dig a trench for the weeping tile that would bring water to the "keyhole" gardens. The clay on site was particularly brutal to dig through. And it didn't help that it rained off and on. I couldn't believe how people were still motivated to push on! Mike and I worked up until about 5pm. I was so sore...

The next day, we had Tara, Bon, Hank, Mimi and Duncan come by to finish up the keyhole gardens, start on the herb spiral and put in the mulch over the weeping tile in the trench. We began to put down some straw for the strawberry patch and put down some compost in select places. Unfortunately, the topsoil didn't show up until Monday, but we were too tired to have done any more work Sunday. What a good start!

We now have most of our foreseeable weekends trying to finish this crazy permaculture yard up.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

I have finally tabulated a years worth of energy utility (energy) consumption, PV production and the fun part, Net electricity (energy) use. We had hoped that our PV system would have provided 40% to 50% of our needs, based on having the amount of PV (4.8 kW), and expecting an average weather year for temperature and sunny days.

It did not.

Sigh.

So here are the numbers:

Total Utility Electrical Use (how much we bought from our utility company): 12,683 kWh

Total PV Generation of our grid-tied system: 5,352 kWh

Total PV power returned to the grid (excess power we did not need): 2,056 kWh

Net Beverly Heights house consumption: 15,978 kWh.

So, we were at 33% in chasing net zero, for 2012.

And we had a fairly mild, sunny year.

Not this like year~ where our winter has already been pretty brutal on the lack of sun and a good number of cold days. If it is sunny, regardless of temperature, our house IS comfortable, heating up passively to over 20 C. The combination of no sunny days and cold weather really hurts- as we need to burn a lot of wood and/or turn on our electric heaters to keep comfortable.

But the good news is we consumed far less than our Hot2000 modelled consumption for space heating, hot water and appliance loads which predicted the total at 17,260 kWh.

And we consumed significantly less than a typical home that is the same square footage: 27,595 kWh, or 42% less!

In due course, we would like to add more PV and get to net zero. The hard part is known when we actually see/get an average weather year.